Sunday, March 18, 2012

Just a Truck Driver?

I would like to vent today.  I rarely come across people who are so full of themselves that I must speak out against what they are.  I cannot say with any certainty that it is who they are as I am not familiar with them on a personal basis.  What can be said is that people allow there station in life to make up for what they are not.  I ran across this in the last 2 days and must share.

I had the rare opportunity to find myself unable to locate a specific delivery point yesterday.  I had done my due diligence in the days leading up to delivery but with little success.  In most cases the way my situation works is that I am given contact information, I initiate that contact and make all necessary arrangements for safe and on time delivery.  When I arrived in the area of my delivery, that exact address was not found.  I safely parked my truck at a local business, notified the proprietor of my intentions to not be there long, then proceeded to  follow standard procedure when things go wrong on a delivery.  I called my company contact, I then called my contact who originated the load and was able to acquire the contact that was supposed to have made the proper arrangements.  At first this person in a "management" position was very professional and helpful.  I followed his instructions to call back at a specified time and that is when I heard out of his rude mouth the words I despise, "you're just a truck driver".

Maybe it was the fact that I was cold and soaked, a little fatigued from driving in rain, traffic and limited visibility, or the fact that he was just dead wrong.  At that moment it all came together and I realized that after giving him the benefit of the doubt, I was wrong about what he was.  He was neither professional, nor personable.  His desire was not to assist me, but, rather to get me off of his phone so he could manage someone he actually held sway over.

You see sir, I am not "just a truck driver".  Just a truck driver would have sat warm and dry at a truck stop 100 miles away and waited for management to get their stuff together.  Just a truck driver may have still been over 1200 miles away because he was waiting on you to organize yourself and get everything taken care of in a timely manner.  Just a truck driver would not make compromises in his route to take care of the customer when you failed to give correct data.  Just a truck driver would not take a week without seeing a paycheck in the bank in order to wait on the prize at the end of the line.  Just a truck driver would not have shown up at your public show with a clean and polished truck so that you sir are represented well.  Just a truck driver does not have any desire to represent your product on the road.

While my common title is truck driver, I am not "just a truck driver".  I arrived at your show clean, with hours to run, and a maintained piece of equipment ready for your multi-stop, long mileage load. I made sure that all preventive maintenance and necessary inspections were completed prior to my arrival at your venue.  I arrived with a plan in place for routing, fueling, meal stops, and anticipated arrival times.  Even when you failed to give me information at the time I was leaving with your equipment, I moved forward as if I had a solid plan in place.  I manage a $138,000 piece of capital equipment.  I maintain records for the equipment, I maintain records for myself, the driver, I maintain records for the business.  I was delayed once by weather, had to push and work hard to beat the possible closing of mountain passes by weather.  I made phone calls, I made arrangements with customers, I went out of my way to see that a customer was accommodated, when you gave me incorrect information.

On my final stop, which was on a narrow two lane road, was where I needed accurate data for safe and legal delivery.  But because of what you are, you know, someone with more job title than "just a truck driver". You felt it necessary to use your position and title to degrade the very person that had safely, with alacrity, delivered all stops up until that point, and had even with a lack of information made the attempt at delivery.  Something I am sure, "just a truck driver", would not have done.

Sir, based on the  example you have given, you would not even begin to be able to handle a business such as mine.  I have to be able to anticipate what a driver in another vehicle is going to do.  I have to be able to comprehend weather and road reports and make adjustments on the go when those are wrong or change.  I have to put the customers needs ahead of mine.  I have to deal with the shortcomings and errors of management and still make safe and on time delivery.  My failure in accuracy can lead to death.  My inability to properly do my job causes you to miss an opening curtain.  Your failure in leadership and accurate management of data, well, blame it on "just a truck driver".

No comments:

Post a Comment